May 04, 2005 03:15 PM
6903 Views
(Updated Jul 08, 2005 01:25 PM)
Added some more info at the bottom, after a long drive a few days back.
It has been around a month and a half now that I have owned an Indica V2 DLX (2005 BS II model) and am here to share my experience and thoughts over the vehicle. To begin with ,
I owned an Alto Vxi previously which I sold for the reasons :
The model is not coming anymore so was worried about the resale value of the car going down drastically. Though I know the same engine is still coming in Wagon R , but a used car buyer's mentality would def prevent anyone from buying it.
The miserly space that the car provided.
Okay.. coming back to the Indica experience. This is the first diesel car that I have owned. I am not the kind of guy with a lead foot who enjoys the high speed and high rev driving. Smooth and comfortable cruising is my style and again this did help me making my car buying decision.
Also in my case, the logic of economy plus comfort over stylishness and power driving prevailed and helped me making the decision of buying this car. Any resident of Bangalore city like me would be swearing at the traffic jams and the slow moving traffic. In fact the way things are going , the city is just about less than being a ''one big parking lot''. With the fuel prices going skyhigh and petrol prices reaching almost 50 bucks a liter .. diesel was definitely the option for me. I could not find a point in having a car that would guzzle down the expensive petrol just idling around in traffic and moving like a snail. What would I be able to do with supposedly a much ''better'' more ''powerful'' and ''smooth'' running zen/alto/wagonR/santro/getz/palio or watever.. when the only view in the car I have is that of the car infront of me 90% of the time!
To cut it short I zeroed in on Palio D and Indica Diesel. With my budget constraint of a max 5 lakhs for the new car finally made me buy the Indica dlx. The Palio Elx which has equivalent features costs almost 6 lakhs on road in blore, hence was ruled out from my list. I got the indica dlx for 4.7 lakhs on road (thats a hefty difference!)
Talking about durability of the product for decision making - Reading through the reviews of the car owners who have owned the car for 3-4 years now did help to boost my confidence in indica. Besides I have a few friends who have been happy indica owners for quite some time now. Palio D though def being the bigger engined and better(?) , lacks in interiors quality and the well known problems of expensive spare parts, unavailable/ unprofessional staff. Not to forget the dwindling state of affairs that Fiat is in, internationally.
About my car:
It has been a mixed experience I must say , but most of it has been pleasant. Will start with the negatives first:
Engine sound until it warms up.
Sluggishness and slow pick up (especially with the AC)
The illumination light of the power-windows doesnt work for one switch.
Gear shift knob could been bigger to give a better feel.
The great things about the car being:
The massive amount of space it gives. A feeling of driving a big car.
Extremely comfortable. Takes all the city potholes well in a stride. No hassles on bad roads.
Great mileage. I get around 14 kmpl with AC on all the time in traffic like that of Bangalore (U gotta see it to believe it! This city's traffic has gone to the dogs I say.. ok ok.. wont say anything bout blore traffic anymore. I know I have done enough of that cribbing above too!)
Excellent handling and manueverability. The small turning radius of 4.9 meters comes in quite handy.
Power steering is great and the AC is an absolute winner.
The car is dream to drive on the highway. Once the engine is hot and running , you gotta drive it to believe it. The car moves with great balance and composure. Something that the cars like alto/wagon R/zen/ santro terribly lack in. The indica gives you the feel of saftey which I dont think any of the cars that I mentioned can do. This is definitely out of my personal experience. Fast driving on highway does give that feeling of flimsyness with the other cars in this class.
Cheaper spare parts and the high availability of tata service stations even on the highways . They already had them in place for the heavy vehicles and just had to accomodate the same for the passenger cars, which is great.
Rear defogger/washer viper is very handy in rains. The fog lights also work great.
Nicely positioned cigar lighter/phone charger.
Attractive lighting of the instrument panel and dashboard.
The cabin is very silent, though there might be more sound initially when the car is cold started.
I havent gone to the service station yet (touchwood :o) )
Would definitely upload my comments regarding the same wen I get the car back after its first service (hopefully I wont need to go there before that!)
Though the feedback that I have got from my friends has been pretty decent.
The car delivery experience was good. I got the car at the time and date as intimated to me. The staff was knowledgeable and willing to help clear any doubts.
Well that is what I could think of right away. Comments and suggestions are welcome. I would def suggest this car to others. It is a great car to own.
Added the following on 8th July 2005
Finally managed to take the car for a longish drive from Bangalore - Dharmasthala - Mangalore - Bangalore. Did a total of around 800km in 2 days. Must say that I am impressed to say the very least. Got an overall average of 19.5 Kmpl with AC on 90% of the time. Man this car rocks on the highway! just zips past the santros, the zens the WagonRs and so on. Stability and composure has been amazing. The car takes just about anything it is offered so well in a stride. A peaceful and relaxed journey for the passengers and an exciting one for the driver i.e. yours truly.
To start with I topped up the coolant, the battery distilled water, and ensured correct tyre pressure which I think should be the norm before going on the highway with any vehicle. Absolute hassle free driving and no other maintainence was required.
This car just doesnt wanna stop. Absolute performance once u are in the 2200-3000 rpm range and the engine delivers beyond expectations. Excellent braking saved me in situations which could have caused more than just jitters. Handling in severe rain on the wet roads on the ghats from Sakleshpur to Mangalore was a piece of cake, allowing me to relish the beautiful scenery around so much more. I think its a must-go drive for any driving enthusiast.
Absolute winner yet again. Have started respecting the car even more after this trip :o) .
